30 Day Countdown-Day 20: Jake Eldrenkamp Award
The latest stop in the countdown turns to a very specific kind of departure: the former Husky who won’t fully be appreciated until he’s gone. That is the spirit behind the “Jake Eldrenkamp Award for Excellence,” or, as it is described, excellence in “Oh S*** he was Actually Way Better Than we Realized Until he Left and Now We’re Feelin’ It.”
The award goes to the most recent former Husky who fits the question of who the Dawgs are going to miss most that people still haven’t quite realized they’ll miss. To qualify here, the player had to be on last year’s team, not currently on this one or any other college team, and unheralded enough that he wasn’t drafted or honored after the season by anyone other than UW.
That leaves a short list, even after ruling out names like Denzel Boston, Jonah Coleman, Anterio Thompson, Zach Durfee, Adam Mohammed and Bryce Butler.
Among the possibilities is wide receiver Omari Evans, the Penn State transfer who finished with 17 catches last season and posted nearly 15 yards per catch, one of the highest marks among Washington receivers. His first catch for the Dawgs was a 59-yard touchdown in the Apple Cup.
What stood out most was the speed. He was the kind of receiver who could “take the top off of the defense,” and that threat helped open things up for Denzel Boston and Dezmen Roebuck.
He also brought veteran presence to a receiver room packed with first- and second-year players, though Christian Moss was added to help supply some of that same experience.
Kicker Grady Gross is another name in the mix, and specialists have won this award before - punter Joel Whitford did it in 2020 and Race Porter in 2022. Gross had an uneven run at Washington, going 18 of 22 on field goals in the 2023-2024 season before struggling in a few games in 2024.
He steadied last year, making 10 of 13 field goal attempts, and he never missed an extra point in his UW career. Tyler Robles looks like the favorite to handle place-kicking duties this fall after transferring from Texas State, where he hit 21 of 23 field goals and finished with 14 straight makes.
He was 3 of 4 from beyond 50 yards last year and did not miss from under 40 yards. The one wrinkle for Gross: Robles did miss one extra point last season.
So if Washington is finishing drives with touchdowns instead of field goals and Robles has some hiccups, Gross could end up being missed.
Linebacker Anthony Ward also makes the case. He began at Washington, transferred to Arizona, then came back to UW in 2024 with his brother Isaiah, who remains on the roster.
Ward appeared in 25 games for Washington, mostly on special teams, and is credited with just one tackle. He may not be a major loss at linebacker given the depth and talent there, but he did bring energy as a senior and helped fire up the team before games, including ahead of Purdue last season.
He also blocked the punt against Wisconsin that led to Washington’s only touchdown in that game, the team’s only punt or kick block of the season. That performance helped him earn the UW Special Teams Most Valuable Player Award last year.
Safety Makell Esteen belongs in the conversation too. He spent six years with the program, played as a freshman in 2020, and started 11 games last season.
He finished with 50 combined tackles, fourth on the team, and added two interceptions, including one that sealed the game against Colorado State and earned him a game ball. Over his UW career he had five interceptions, served as one of the team captains, and won the Guy Flaherty Award last year, the oldest and most prestigious honor for Washington football.
He will be missed, though the presence of Rylon Dillard-Allen, Paul Mencke and Rahim Wright gives Washington options.
Then there is tight end Quentin Moore, whose value went far beyond the box score. Yes, his touchdown against Oregon in the final Pac-12 championship game is still the one people remember.
But what defined him was blocking. He was the best blocking tight end on the team last season, and his block against Purdue helped spring Jordan Washington’s long touchdown run.
Washington has plenty of tight ends on the roster this year, and reports suggest Decker DeGraaf’s blocking has improved while Baron Naone seems poised to take on Moore’s role. Even so, it is not clear any of them will match what Moore brought in that phase of the game.
He is also the only tight end on the roster this year who has played in more than seven games as a Husky.
The pick here lands on Moore. The original Jake Eldrenkamp wasn’t drafted but did make an NFL team as an undrafted free agent, and that is the path being used as the guide here.
Moore fits the spirit of the award best. Coach Fisch called him one of the best blocking tight ends he’s coached, and the film backs that up.
In Other News...
Washington Tight Ends Could Unlock More For Demond Williams Jr
Washingtons tight end room is getting a closer look this fall, and the reason goes beyond one position group. Jordan Paopao has made balance the key theme, wanting players who can help in the run game without disappearing when the Huskies want to throw. That matters with Demond Williams Jr. entering the picture, because a tight end who can stay on the field in multiple situations can make the whole offense harder to defend.
Decker DeGraaf, Baron Naone and Austin Simmons have all drawn positive notice in camp as the group works through that dual role. DeGraaf, in particular, looks positioned to become a real part of the passing game, which gives Washington another potential answer in the middle of the field. If the room keeps developing the way the staff wants, it could end up giving Williams more reliable options and the offense a little more flexibility than it had a year ago. [Read more 🡒]